1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to a soapholder and in particular to a bent wire soapholder which provides drainage and storage for bar soap between periods of use.
2. Discussion of the Technical Problems
We soap is difficult to store properly. If the water is not drained, the soap becomes jelly-like and is nearly unusable.
To be efficiently stored, a solid emulsifying material such as bar soap must be as dry between uses as is possible, especially at any point of contact, to prevent absorption and subsequent softening and loss of emulsifying oils contained in the soap.
The soap contact area of the holder must be limited to the absolute minimum and any connected surface area beneath the support must also be as small as possible. Soap stubbornly retains moisture at points of contact with an material. Soap bar contact with the supporting device must be reduced to the smallest area needed to support the weight of the soap bar without gouging it.
The adjacent continuous surface beneath the soapholder contacts must also be minimized because liquids will quickly spread to cover as much surface area as possible, causing a liquid emulsion to lose much of its liquid properties through dispersion and evaportion, resulting in the deposition of any transported emulsifiables as a residue upon the surfaces covered.
Despite the necessity of reducing surface area, a small amount of additional area can be tolerated, even useful, if its serves the purpose of draining the contact area between the soap bar and the soapholder. The instant invention provides the additional adjacent surface areas in a downwardly sloping surface which serves to drain the contact area. It should be understood that soap emulsions possess increased viscosity and become somewhat elastic; therefore, if gravity pulls significantly on this liquid at some point, any continuation of the liquid tends to be pulled along to the point of drainage.
By bending the supporting members down to a nearly vertical orientation at the point where soap supporting requirements have been met, the gravitational effect upon the weight of the draining emulsion is fully utilized to pull the maximum amount of liquid from the contact area between soap and soapholder.
In the instant invention, this same effect also applies to any liquid in the contact area between the soap and front stops of the support members. A further benefit of this configuration is the adjustability of contact area to the amount deemed necessary while still supporting the soap bar beneath its points of horizontal balance.
Thusly constructed, the instant invention will cause highly liquid emulsions moving down the lower vertical portions of the support members to exert a pull upon liquid farther up the support members in the contact areas with the soap bar, all the while draining to the lowest points of the supports where it drips into the sink, basin or receptacle being used and ceases to be a cause for further concern.
Owing to the design of the device, the central portion of the soap bar is completely accessible and elevated, with wider access at the rear side of the holder to more nearly match the shape of the human hand, allowing the user to easily grasp the soap bar even if it is freshly dampened and slick, by using the circumferential availablity of position an opposable grip of thumb above and fingers below the soap bar and thence, its unencumbered removal from the holder.
The apparatus according to the instant invention presents a novel configuration which makes use of the natural properties and limitations of liquid soap emulsions to their fullest, to provide greater efficiency, economy and convenience for consumers of bar soap, in a more decorative and attractive fashion than does prior technology.
A number of previous attempts have been made to provide soap holders. Such attempts include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 151,126 to Hilenski, issued Sept. 28, 1948, U.S. Pat. No. 3910661 to Geary, issued Oct. 7, 1975, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 247,999 to Whatley issued May 30, 1978, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 147,306 to Gray issued Feb. 4, 1947, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,730 to Mancusi issued Nov. 11, 1976.
None of the known inventions, however, teach a soap bar contact area of the soap holder with horizontal balance points having the optimum amount of support area with structure to remove the emulsified liquid from the points of contact. Also, none of the known art teaches the use of gravity to pull the liquid away from the soap bar by use of a drip point. Furthermore, none of the known art teaches providing a limited surface area beneath contact areas.